Threat detection platform with a plurality of sensor nodes

Abstract

The threat detection system described here includes a plurality of nodes that may each have a differently configured set of sensors for observing the area in the vicinity of each node. The nodes provide this information to a command center and/or Internet services so that operators can ascertain the threats in an area being monitored by the plurality of nodes. Threat analytics are performed on the information provided by the sensors in the nodes to further aid the operators' understanding of the threats in the area.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A threat detection system, comprising:
 a plurality of nodes, each node configured for monitoring a specified area, wherein at least one node includes a modular device for secure attachment to an object within the specified area, the modular device having at least one compartment for interchangeably receiving a sensor of a specified type, a processor, and a transceiver for data communication over a network; 
 a controller configured to determine a safety threat level based on data received from at least two nodes positioned in different zones in the specified area; and 
 a display device configured to display a plurality of windows as a sequence of tiles, wherein each window is associated with a respective zone, and the display is further configured to display each window in a display sequence and at a display size based on the safety threat level of each zone determined from the data received from the at least two nodes. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor is disposed in a housing configured to be detachably connected to the modular device. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the housing includes a first connector that mates with a second connector on the modular device. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the modular device includes a processor configured to detect a type of the at least one sensor disposed in the housing connected thereto. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the modular device includes a processor configured to detect connection to a housing and identify a type of sensor provided in the housing. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform a diagnostic test on the at least one sensor provided in the housing. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein each node is configured to communicate at least one of sensor and diagnostic data to the controller. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a processor configured to perform threat analytics on the received sensor data. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a display that aggregates received sensor data into visual format for a user. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the display is configured to display a result of threat analytics processing on the received sensor data. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the display is configured to identify the location of a threat or incident based on the result of the threat analytics processing. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display size each of the plurality of windows includes dimensions based on the result of the threat analytics processing, wherein a window associated with sensor data indicating an imminent or current threat has a larger size than a window associated with sensor data indicating no threat. 
     
     
       13. A method for detecting a threat in a venue using a network of sensing nodes, comprising:
 receiving data from a plurality of sensing nodes in the network, wherein a plurality of sensing nodes are arranged in zones; 
 performing threat analytics on the data from each sensing node; and 
 displaying results of the threat analytics for each zone in respective windows, wherein the windows are ordered and sized relative to a level of threat determined from the threat analytics results, the order or size of the respective windows changing in real-time based on updated threat analytic results. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein performing threat analytics comprises:
 calibrating each sensing node based on a location in the venue; 
 recording baseline data of each sensor; 
 comparing the received sensor data to the baseline data associated with the respective sensor; 
 determining whether comparison results indicate a safety event in the location of a respective sensing node; and 
 issuing a control or notification signal based on a result of the determination. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , comprising:
 changing a size or order sequence of windows in the display based on the control or notification signal, wherein the control or notification signal includes a score associated with a threat level and the size or sequence placement of a respective window is adjusted based on the score in relation to other windows in the display. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of sensing nodes is attached to an animate object, the method further comprising:
 tracking movement of the animate object within a zone, wherein based on a received control or notification signal, a first processor of the sensing node attached to the animate object communicates with second processors of other sensing nodes in the zone, and 
 determining a position of the animate object in the zone based on a proximity of the animate object to at least one other sensing node in the common zone. 
 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a method for detecting a threat in a venue, wherein when the computer readable medium is placed in communicable contact with a processing device, the processing device is configured to execute the method comprising:
 receiving data from a plurality of sensing nodes in the network, wherein in a plurality of sensing nodes are arranged in zones; 
 performing threat analytics on the data from each sensing node; and 
 displaying results of the threat analytics for each zone in respective windows, wherein the windows are ordered and sized relative to a level of threat determined from the threat analytics results, the order or size of the respective windows changing in real-time based on updated threat analytic results.